Written by

The Tennessean

Fans of the food truck Riffs Fine Street Food can now enjoy a steady schedule and new breakfast and lunch dishes at Riffs Cafe at Highland Ridge on Marriott Drive.

“We’re taking our food truck sensibilities and making sure that we are doing everything high-end and as impressive as we can,” said B.J. Lofback, who, along with partner Carlos Davis, owns Riffs Fine Street Food, Riffs Cafe and Riffs Catering.

The cafe, inside one of the Highland Ridge office buildings, is open for breakfast and lunch.

While the cafe offers the same vision of “street food ideas from around the world,” it also serves coffee drinks using Intelligentsia Coffee and pastries created by chef Audra Dykes, and will soon feature express lunch options.

“Soup, salads and sandwiches are going to be more common in this setting than in the truck,” Lofback said. “In the truck, we do tacos and more eclectic things.”

Not to say the offerings at Riffs Cafe aren’t creative. The pastry chef creates her own takes on Girl Scout cookies, Little Debbie snacks and more.

“We’re always changing and always playing,” Lofback said.

While Davis is busy with the catering business and Lofback focuses on the business side, executive chef Drew Whitney brings Lofback’s dishes to the table.

“He’s doing phenomenal things with my food,” he said. “I have an amazing crew. It’s amazing seeing some incredible people come in and work at this place.”

Furniture from the dining room is still on its way, but the cooks in the kitchen are still servingdishes as squash fritters, tacos and burgers.

The food truck still will be at events in the evenings and on weekends. The cafe is open 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday at 555 Marriott Drive, Suite 105.